In Sermon Illustrations: "understandable" showing 981-1,000 of 2,271

Responding To A Survey That Showed That ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Responding to a survey that showed that Alabamans had the most bible knowledge, but being dismayed at the general lack thereof, Cecil R. Taylor, dean of the School of Christian Studies at the Southern Baptist-affiliated University of Mobile, said it upsets him to know “how biblically illiterate ...read more

Tags: Second Coming

It's Interesting How We Share Faith. We All Have ...

Contributed by Anne Benefield on Jan 24, 2008

It’s interesting how we share faith. We all have our own way based on our own abilities. I have always been impressed with those who can quote the appropriate scripture in times of crisis. My sister, Jean, can do that. My pastor in San Antonio, Texas, could do that. I just can’t do that. I’m ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Too Busy To Love

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Jul 21, 2008

TOO BUSY TO LOVE A father and his young daughter were great friends and much in each other's company. Then the father noted a change in his daughter. If he went for a walk, she excused herself from going. He grieved about it, but could not understand. When his birthday came, she presented him ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Christian Church

The Tough Questions

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Sep 11, 2008

The Tough Questions Sandy Perry wrote me on Aug. 15, 2008: Today's paper had an article about the decision of Hope Presybterian to host a tribute to Isaac Hayes. Christians were opposed to the idea of hosting a tribute to a prominent, active Scientologist. One of my coworkers mentioned that all ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: Pentecostal

Love As Evangelism

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

Love as Evangelism When Henry Stanley went out in 1871 and found Dr. Livingstone, (remember: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?") he spent some months in his company, but Livingstone never spoke to Stanley about spiritual things. Throughout those months Stanley just watched the old man. Livingstone’s ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

You Didn't Get Him From Here

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 13, 2009

"YOU DIDN’T GET HIM FROM HERE" One Sunday morning a stranger wandered into a small country church in the middle of the sermon. The man was unkempt and dirty. The usher tried his best to seat him off in a far corner, but instead the man walked to the very first pew and sat directly in front of the ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Do You Think God Knows What He Is Doing?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on May 4, 2022

A young woman prepared for missionary service on foreign fields. She had been appointed by the mission board and was ready to sail when she received a telegram saying that her sister had died in a western state. She cancelled her reservation and went home. The sister left four little children ...read more

Tags: Providence, Missions, Missionaries, Trusting God, Sovereignty Of God, Evangelism, Will Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God's Way Is The Best.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on May 31, 2022

I read the story about a young woman who had prepared for missionary service on foreign fields. She had been appointed by the mission board and was ready to sail when she received a telegram saying that her sister had died in a western state. She cancelled her reservation and went home. The ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: Will Of God, Providence, Purpose, Obedience, Trust, Sovereignty Of God, Faith  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Going To The Movies With Penguins!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 27, 2023

A truck driver was hauling a load of 500 penguins to the zoo. Unfortunately, his truck broke down, so he waved down another truck and offered the driver $500 to take the penguins to the zoo. The next day, the first truck driver picked up his repaired truck. When he drove into town, he couldn’t ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20

Tags: Mission, Missions, Purpose, Great Commission, Evangelism, Communication  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Private First Class Milton L. Olive Iii Was Born ...

Contributed by Richard Arnold on Dec 7, 2004

Private First Class Milton L. Olive III was born November 7, 1946 in Chicago, Illinois. He died on October 22, 1966, just shy of his 20th birthday in Phu Cuong, Vietnam. The citation for his Medal of Honor reads as follows: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Audacity To Believe… (This Portion Based On ...

Contributed by David Rumley on Nov 8, 2006

THE AUDACITY TO BELIEVE… (This portion based on Rob Bell’s Nooma video called Dust) Why would Peter have the audacity to believe He could do what Jesus was doing? How would he believe in God and believe in himself enough to know he too could walk on water? To understand this we must understand ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Salvation And Reprobation

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

SALVATION AND REPROBATION Someone may ask, "Of what use then is the doctrine of reprobation?" I am glad you asked! Let me suggest (from Dr. Boice) some useful aspects of the doctrine of reprobation. First, reprobation assures us that God’s purpose has not failed. God has determined the outcome ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:24-31

Tags: God's Judgment

The Prison Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2010

The Prison of Bitterness Because we live in a world full of people that don’t know grace. It’s foreign to them. They don’t know it. And if they don’t hear about it and experience it from the body of Christ, they will never know it. I first learned of this story from Max Lucado. Each week Kevin ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:31-32

Tags: Bitterness

The Weak Will Become Strong  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 12, 2011

THE WEAK WILL BECOME STRONG The story is told of a ten-year-old boy who decided to study judo. The problem was he had been in a car accident and had lost his left arm. So he started the lessons and was doing well but he couldn’t understand why after 3 months of lessons that his coach had only ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-5

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Holiness And Red Buttons  PRO

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Aug 6, 2011

HOLINESS AND RED BUTTONS In studying holiness as a prayer key, I got bogged down with trying to understand it. I had an even harder time trying to explain it. I felt like the Red Buttons character in the movie, "Hatari." In that movie, John Wayne led a team of hunters in Africa capturing wild ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:8, Matthew 22:15-22

Tags: Holy, Prayer, Holiness

Denomination: Baptist

The Padded Cross  PRO

Contributed by David Parks on Mar 25, 2013

THE PADDED CROSS Well, here I am, Lord. You said, "Take up your cross," and I'm here to do it. It's not easy, You know, this self-denial thing. I mean to go through with it, through...yes, Sir. I'll bet you wish more people were willing to be disciples like me. I've counted the cost and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23-25

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Comfortable Out-On-A-Limb!" Romans 11:33-36 Key ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 23, 2005

“Comfortable Out-On-A-Limb!” Romans 11:33-36 Key verse(s) 11:“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” Get real! When as a youth I heard this phrase, it often gave me reason to pause. If someone was insisting that I was caught up in a fantasy and ...read more

Scripture: Romans 11:33-36

Tags: Trinity

Denomination: Lutheran

Praying For The Lost

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Mar 15, 2010

PRAYING FOR THE LOST Lee Thomas is a great teacher on praying for the lost. Here’s part of a testimony from his book: When we begin to pray for someone’s salvation, God seems to draw a circle around that individual and then gets in the circle with him. That is what happened to Ricky Gresham when ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Baptist

A "Conquering" Faith

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jan 31, 2011

A "CONQUERING" FAITH The following story comes from Hank Hanegraaff's book, "The Last Disciple" (which refers to the Apostle John, the last one of the 12 to die). It is set within the historical context of first century Rome's persecution of the church. Leah is the sister of a young Christian ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-37

Tags: Persecution

Denomination: Nazarene

The World Needs More Grandfathers

Contributed by James Snyder on Feb 22, 2020

As time has gone by, I have learned a few things. According to the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, I have not learned enough yet, but that's just her opinion. She gave me a great compliment the other day when she said, “Dear, you’re as smart as you will ever be.” I am still not over that, ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:6

Tags: Grandchildren, Grandfathers

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance